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Not a lot different today, is it? Money is power and power is money still.

Child labor, crushing unions, political corruption, monopolies in all aspects of daily life – sounds like Iowa today doesn’t it? Bribery? Citizens United basically codified bribery so it is still there. Dangerous working conditions? Have you seen a slaughterhouse?

Wealth taxes have been greatly diminished and wealth has been allowed to accumulate in just a few hands. The middle class has been hollowed out. Policies espoused by the Biden Administration has started to reverse that trend. It will take election victories and continued “bottom up and middle out” policy to keep that momentum.

Where Reich calls for new taxes we have a MAGA party that will only raise taxes on the poor and cuts taxes for the rich massively. The thought of raising taxes for the rich is not even allowed in conversation any more. When a MAGA politician talks about the debt does anyone ever ask “How about taxing the rich?”

Due to ad revenue and fabulous salaries our media has become little more than pet lapdogs for the wealthy. There are a few brave souls that call out the inequality and problems in America, but for the most part the media – let’s be more specific, the corporate media is little more than a propaganda outlet for the rich.

Even Public Radio and Public Television bow to the money. It is so sad to be listening to a story or interview and not hear the obvious followup questions.

Robert Reich and others like him are at present national treasures in my opinion. Like Ida Tarbell, H.L. Mencken and Upton Sinclair of the previous gilded age the truth tellers are one of America’s most important commodities.